title: Long-lasting effects of neonatal ionizing radiation exposure on spatial memory and anxiety-like behavior.
abstract: Neonatal ionizing radiation exposure has been shown to induce a cerebellar cytoarchitecture disarrangement. Since cerebellar abnormalities have been linked to an impairment of behavioral functions, the aim of the present work was to investigate whether exposure of developing rats to ionizing radiations can produce behavioral deficits in the adult. Male Wistar rats were X-irradiated with 5Gy within 48h after birth and were tested in a radial maze and in an open field at 30 and 90 days post irradiation. Irradiated rats showed significative changes in spatial, exploratory, and procedural parameters in the radial maze, as well as a significative decrease in anxiety-like behavior, assessed in the open field. These results suggest that ionizing radiations can induce long-lasting spatial memory and anxiety-related changes. A relationship with radiation-induced cerebellar cytoarchitecture abnormalities supports the hypothesis that cerebellar integrity seems to be critical to achieve spatial performance and emotional behavior establishment.
authors.affiliation: 1 feminine Cátedra de Farmacología, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Paraguay 2155-piso 15 (1121), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lucila Guadalupe
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Caceres
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rios
authors.forename: Laura Ruth
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Guelman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002525:Cerebellar Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar